Canada is deeply troubled by the recent LoC violations, and supports India in its fight against terror, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird told Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday.
Speaking to The Hindu in a telephonic interview after his meetings, Mr. Baird said terrorism was a “central theme” of his conversations with the Indian leadership.
Asked specifically about the Indian government’s allegation that the violations came from Pakistan, in an effort to push militants across the LoC, Mr. Baird said, “Canada lends its support to India in its fight against terror. India has had to pay too heavy a price on terror over the past few decades, and we appreciate all that it has done despite that. We were particularly impressed by Prime Minister Modi’s decision to reach out to Pakistan after he was elected this year.”
Mr. Baird said the issue of radical anti-Indian, primarily Khalistani groups operating in Canada had been raised during his talks in the Indo-Canadian security dialogue. Accepting the problem of such groups, he said: “I assured the Indian leadership that we are keen to work with them on intelligence sharing and anti-terror cooperation, and that only the odd member of the Sikh population may be involved.”
He had known a schoolmate who died in the Kanishka plane bombing in 1985, and had seen the effects of terrorism India faces “up close.”
Officials said the two sides discussed the threat of ISIS and the post-pullout situation in Afghanistan, as well as possibilities of extending India-Canada cooperation in several security and energy fields. “Unlike other countries, Canada has no outstanding legal barriers to providing uranium to India. So we look forward to seeing Canadian uranium on Indian shores at the earliest,” Mr. Baird said.
According to the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Canada would facilitate hydrocarbon supplies to India, as well as suppliers for India’s proposal of ‘heavy water’ nuclear power plants. Mr. Baird also met with Mr. Modi and invited him to Canada, an invitation the Prime Minister “accepted in principle.”
However, there was no breakthrough in the economic partnership agreement being negotiated since 2010. During the interview, Mr. Baird denied choosing an Indian-Canadian, Nadir Patel, as the next High Commissioner to India because of his Gujarati origins.
“We have simply appointed one of the seniormost members of our department who has distinguished himself in diplomacy as well as trade ties. The fact that he speaks an Indian language that is the same as the Indian Prime Minister’s is only a bonus.”
